Tag Archives: singlemom

Pilates is one of those amazing workouts that once you start you feel the results the very next day. It is great no matter what you weigh, be it small, tall, old or young. Each excersize can be modified if you have pains or like me a hurt foot. You can do it for a few minutes or as long as you want, you can stop and start there is no need to keep it up for a certain period of time.

The goal of Pilates is not to get your heart rate up and to make you sweat. It is to engage as many muscles in your body at one time. It will make you work, but with such low repetitions you don’t feel over worked. Muscles you never even knew weren’t being flexed get flexed. I can attest to what amazing things happen when you can control the muscles in your body. Lets just say all men and women should do Pilates because when it comes to the bedroom you really notice. Pilates is my all-time favorite workout, I always feel good doing it_______HOLD IT, STOP_____side note here:

I have not always found it a good feeling to see my body so up close and personal But that had nothing to do with the workout but my own self image. Coming to love one’s self is not easy. I think a lot of people suffer from not being able to love themselves when they take a real truthful look in the mirror. We grow up and there are things (such as having babies, age, weight, life in general) that permanently mars that youthful skin. Someone once talked openly about how they never would allow photos to be taken of themselves because they hated how they looked. She never wanted a reminder of it and feared people would see her the way she say herself. It was the saddest article I had ever read. I sobbed for her pain and realized it was because I have been there and still struggle to not be there. Things can’t change until we change them. Things won’t be accepted unless we accept them. I really think the AA has it right with their mantra of: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Post it on a wall, write it on a mirror, live it, teach it!

People often put off working out because it is too hard. Going to the gym takes time and money. Those info commercials for the ultimate device that will sculpt the perfect body for you are a joke. Running and all those fat burning workouts are a one timer for so many Because in the end they leave feeling wore out and disappointed at the sheer amount of work it took. Not to mention how they feel the next day. NO THANKS! If you’re not already fit those workouts are just torturer. Pilates works on strengthening muscles all over your body to allow you to do things. Example: I tore a muscle by simply stretching and coughing at the same time when I was pregnant with Pratus. I was terrified I’d end up not being able to go into labor because of the pain. My body was tired, stretched to the limits, the muscles were not toned and struggled to hold all the pressure that was placed on them.

Pilates invented by Joseph Pilates works on building up your core muscles as its main objective. I know for me that once I feel strong on the inside I feel strong everywhere. I am working with a few every inexpensive things in own space with nothing more than a camping mat (it’s what I had on hand). 1) A book; the Pilates Body By Brooke Siler (got mine at a second-hand sale for $0.50) 2) Youtube video; Pilates 30 Minutes Exercises Full Workout Doing at Home!

There have been so many days where I thought that I was alone in this big big world. So many times where I thought no one else felt the way I did, thought the way I thought or did the things I did. I am glad that through internet searches and the blogs I have read I found this to not be true. That is why I decided to jump in here feet first and go ahead and let others know they aren’t alone either.

My family is all sorts of mixed up crazy and I do mean that to be a compliment most days. This year I am older and wiser, not in my wisest years I am sure, but also not twenty something anymore. I have had my babies, I have had a child leave home to join society in the ultimate quest for survival. However I still have little ones that won’t be gone anytime soon and teens that will. What a roller coaster of a life!

Pratus My littlest guy is 3 now and what a handful. There are days when I wish someone would come and save me from him. My love is great and I wish I could just lavish my love on him but alas, he isn’t that type of child (being receptive of such things). There are times when he is full of love and helpful and just all around great, but those days are so far and few that life with him as the baby has its own limitations right along with those I put on myself.

We have just recently become a split family where I am now a single parent of these 5 kids, it is okay, I’ll make do, I’ll make it work, I have faith in myself regardless of who else does. I have big dreams filled with adventure and learning even if my kids would rather just be teens or others would rather I just live like the Jones. In my view, life is to short to sit around and just be a spectator in it.

To me life is about what we do when we wake to what we do when our heads hit the pillow at night. I am not perfect and fight the battle of good health every day. Most times I am about 60% extremely healthy and 40% can’t keep away from the things I crave. I am creative with DIY projects, however I have my limitations and am just not one of those crafty women who can sit around making their kids class homemade valentines cards. I am lucky if I have made homemade play dough that wasn’t just left over bread dough that I was kind enough to break off (really only to prevent a meltdown by Pratus). I have tried eating RAW, Paleo, Low carb, Sugar-free, Juicing, Gluten-free, Gluten and Casein free, Organic only, and of course the Standard American Diet (SAD). None of which struck me as the only way to eat so when I post recipes you will find all kids, the bests of each group that seem to be the ones we come back to again and again. I have lived on a tight budget and being able to really throw the budget out the window and just buy whatever I wanted. All of these I hope to share with people.